FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1734, 26 April 1913, Page 10

FOR WOMEN & CHILDREN.

. ANNUAL MEETING. Tho annual meeting of tho Society for Women and Children was hold in tho Town Hall last evening. Tho Hon. Dr. Collins, M.L.C., presided. Tho fifth annual report stated, intor aim, .that having realised that the docroaso it infant mortality has been cloarly traccd to tho efforts of tho society in Uio interests of health and hygiene, tho Government had dccided to allow each branch a subsidy of 245. in tho £ up to ~100 per nnum for oach nurse. Tho conferenco which was held at Christ church on March 5 was largely attended. Through tho kindness of tho Primo Min. istcr and Mrs. Massey, who lent their beautiful grounds; a very successful pardon fete, under tho patronago of, and in the presenco of, her Excellenoy Lady Liverpool, was held recently, and a substantial sum was realised. The total number of babies attended during tho 12 months just ended is 298, and the number of visits paid 1516. Tho nurses feel very much tho want of milk depots, whero they could prepare and supply humanised milk to mothers travelling with young children. It is a great convenience to bo ablo to get what they need prepared for thorn, and up till now this has been dono at tho house of cno of the oominittee. Tho number of mothers so supplied is 138, but it is to bo hop&d that tho Municipal Milk Depot, which is soon to bo established, will supply this want by lotting the society have a small room whero they could prepare tho food. 11l moving the adoption of tho report and balance-sheet, Dr. Collins said that it was an impoi'tajit thing, that tlijb Public Health Department had, recognised tli'o worlc dono by tho society and tho Plunket nurses, lie paid a tributo to tho work of tho society's founder, especially for his work in Duneddh. It wag a very great compliment to tho society tliero to seo that tho infantile mortality 'had been reduced from 8 per cent tx> 4 per cent. A table of statistics of tho deaths of children under ono year to every 100 births' was as follows:—Auckland (excepting suburbs), in J9lO, had an average of deaths 8.75 per cent.; in 1 1911, G.SG per cent.; mean for five years, B.JG per 'cent. Wellington, in 1010, had 8.89 per cent.; in 1911, 7.81 per cent.; mqafl:for five yftars, ,8,95 per cent. Chfistchiirch, in ; 1910,' had:6.97 per cent.j'in 1911, 6.28 per cent.; mean for five years, 7.77 per cent.; Dunedin, in 1910, had 7.51 per cent.; in ,1911, 4.28 per cent.; 'mean for-tlvo years, 6.95 per cent. Wellington showed the highest deatli-rato among infants,, and Auckland camo next. Pure milk for infants was most important, and now that there wa9 a relation, ship between UlO society and the Department of Public Health, more might be dono ,iu dealing with' dpfects ia tho milk supply. '

Tho balance-sheet showed thai: fho receipts for tho year had been £261, which, with JEI99 carried forward from last year, brought tho year's income up to J2400. Of this a credit balance of .£lßl remained. Donations and subscriptions had totalled £27, the feto yielded a profit of «£127, and the Government subsidy was .£IOO. Mrs. Algar Williams seconded the motion to adopt the report and balance-, sheet, which was carried.

The election of .officers was then proceeded with, and Lady Stout proposed that Mrs. Algar Williams bo re-elected president for (lie ensuing year. Mrs. Atkinson seconded tho proposal, and Mrs. Williams was re-elected. Lady Stout, Mrs. A. If. Atkinson, Mrs. T. G. Macarthy, and Mrs. Fitchott were elccted vice-presidents. Mrs. M'Vicar was reelected lion, secretary; Mrs. Noil M'Leail re-elected hou. treasurer. Tho following committee w»s then electedßow Mother Mary Joseph Aubcrt, Lady Gibbes, Mrs. Massey, Mrs, Wilford, Mrs. Justice Chapman, Mrs. T. C. Williams, Mrs. Richmond, Mrs. W. J. Grey, Mrs. Corrigan, Mrs. S. Kirkcaldie, Mrs. F. Lcckie, Mrs, Darling, Mrs. Corliss, Mrs.'Winder, Mrs. Coull, Mrs. G. J. Reid, Mrs. W. P. Ward, Miss Barnett, Mrs. Ponsonby, Mrs. Kane, Mrs. Stanton Harcourt, Mrs. C. Richardson, Miss M'Lellan, Miss Cable, Miss Clarke, Miss Payne, Mrs, Malcolm Ross, Mrs. Macasse.v, Mrs. M'Laren, Mrs. Glover, and Miss Stewart. Hon. Medical Advisory Board: Dr. Platts-Mills, Hon., Dr. Collins, Dr. Pell, Dr. C. Mackie Begg, Dr. H. Kemp, Dr. M'Gavin, Dr,. Herbert, Dr. Young, Dr, Caliill, Dr. Ef 0. Wliyte, Dr. Hardwick-S'mith; Plun-> ket nurses: Nurse Morgan, Nurso Maciiitosh'. A vote of thanks to Dr. Collins for JiiSVpresenco at tho meeting and for his in- \ torcst in the society was, proposed by Mrs.; Atkinson and carried. • Mrs. Atkinson also remarked that tho Plunket nurses did not interfere with the work of tho doctors, but worked in with them..